B230F Cam Choice Help

[B_Cakes]

Hey yall, I'm new to this site but I've been trying to do some research as to what cam I would like to swap in my 1989 240 B230F. I recently just did a head gasket on the thing and for the most part shes in good shape. It's a completely stock motor with the ol' AW70 and eventually I would like to turbo the motor and see if I can't find a manual gearbox for it. Only problem is I'm a little short on funds, so in the mean time I was hoping to getting a small increase in performance to satisfy my desire to mod. I was considering doing a 531 swap from the 530 and getting a cam but I don't know enough to be able to pick out a cam myself. I've read a bunch of stuff about the A/B cams and such and for a while I was set on the IPD N/A cam but given its price tag I was looking for a bit more bang for my buck. It's a daily driver and I was looking for some lower to mid-range power out of it without tanking driveability Any advice or articles would be appreciated

[classicswede]

I would go with a A cam. It gives a bit more pull than the M you have without loosing low end just improves mid and upper. The other good thing with the A is that it will be ideal for when you do go +T

[dl242gt]

A and B stock volvo cams will work for you. Plus as mentioned above they will both work well with a turbo engine. You can also get an adjustable cam sprocket to help adjust the power band a bit once you install the better cam.

[culberro]

Skip the 531.
Get the 530 machined 30-40 thou, clean up the ports if you want to, and then slap on a B, A, K, etc. cam.

[122power]

W cam for winner.

[740atl]

I’m going to go non-conventional... sell the car and buy something that’s performance oriented from the beginning.

Don’t break your heart... there is no surer path to despair than modifying an old Volvo. Your car is slow. A cam swap will make it marginally less slow. These cars are fragile... the moment you start putting power to them the list of parts you will have to replace to keep running goes off the chart.

Buy a small manual transmission car that you can drive to it’s limit and still be at safe speeds like a Miata etc. if you still want to modify cars, buy a car that had a range of engines available... an old bmw e34 can fit a bunch of bimmer engines... even v8s that you can pull for cheap in the boneyard.

If you’re set to modify the Volvo realize that every penny you spend on performance parts you might as well burn... or melt if you’re actually spending pennies.

[90volvo]

Originally Posted by 740atl

I’m going to go non-conventional... sell the car and buy something that’s performance oriented from the beginning.

Don’t break your heart... there is no surer path to despair than modifying an old Volvo. Your car is slow. A cam swap will make it marginally less slow. These cars are fragile... the moment you start putting power to them the list of parts you will have to replace to keep running goes off the chart.

Buy a small manual transmission car that you can drive to it’s limit and still be at safe speeds like a Miata etc. if you still want to modify cars, buy a car that had a range of engines available... an old bmw e34 can fit a bunch of bimmer engines... even v8s that you can pull for cheap in the boneyard.

If you’re set to modify the Volvo realize that every penny you spend on performance parts you might as well burn... or melt if you’re actually spending pennies.

-- I was in his shoes once. Yes, Ive spent alot of money to get my Volvo where it is today. But, I have learned alot over the past 5 years. What I have learned has helped me in other areas of my life. I know work on auto Ac systems, I learned all about them when I rebuilt my system. I can now rebuild a turbo, engine, and tune. Which before hand I would of been hesitant of doing so. I would recommned a V cam or an A. If your going to leave NA then pickup a T cam for cheap. Yes, in the long run you will spend money but the reward of knowing you car in and out will be great. If I didnt spend money on my car I would just spend on other stupid stuff. If you need help getting a turbo on it, let me know I have some parts laying around Id be willing to help you. There is tons of info on this forum and people willing to help you out.

[richbell]

I did a +T on my ‘93 245 w/ M cam: even with boost the motor didn’t like higher rpm.
Dropped in an A cam: motor revs out freely and feels generally better, quicker, smoother.
No adjustable gear yet.
I had already adjusted shims to the M and after the A swap, everything was still within spec.